The Race
by Khorose
Summary: Seven people meet in a chatroom. Together, they engaged in a race to find out each others' names before theirs could be discovered. Who would win? No OCs, no shinigamis or Death Notes.
1. Meet via Hacking

**Kira has created a new chat room**

**Kira has logged on**

**L has logged on**

Kira: Hello...?

L: Hello, Kira-kun. I saw the new chat-room.

Kira: This is a privet one where I could talk with my friends. How did you get in?

L: I hacked.

**Shoko has logged on**

Shoko: Hi guys! I don't know what's going on but nice to meet you all!

Kira: Hi.

L: Hi.

Kira: So, how did YOU get here? When this is supposed to be a PRIVET chatroom?

Shoko: It is?

L: It is.

Shoko: Hm... That explained the password they were asking for.

Kira: How the hell did you know my password?!

Shoko: I entered '12345', and it got me in.

Kira:...!

L: A nice choicce, Kira-kun. Some people never thought to use that/

Kira: ...This is not a part of my plan.

L: Who are your friends, then?

Kira: As if I'd tell a random stranger I met in a chatroom.

L: Ah, but it's YOUR chatroom.

Kira: I'm not telling you who my friends are, or who I am. You could be a creepy stalker for all I know.

L: Or I could be a famous detective.

Shoko: Yeah. Right.

L: Kira-kun, Shoko-kun-

Shoko: I'm a girl.

L: ...Shoko-chan, I will find out both of your identities before you find out mine.

Shoko: Is that a challenge, L-san?

Kira: You're on.

**Ryuuzaki has logged on**

**Matt has logged on**

**Mello has logged on**

**Near has logged on**

Mello: L! We are having a problem over here!

Ryuuzaki: Near has gotten lost. Again.

Matt: Who are you talking to, L?

L: This is Kira and Shoko.

Kira: You know them?

L: Yes.

Kira: No fair, you have a headstart!

L: I don't know their real names though.

Shoko: How the heck...?

L: In real life they also uses the same names.

Kira: Great, that makes you easier to find.

Near: We should tell each other our locations, then we won't go through unnecessary airplane trips and false leads.

Mello: Near?! Where the hell did you go to?

Near: Third floor. That secret room where you never thought anyone knows.

Matt: I tried to tell him that, but he said-

Mello: Oh shush it.

Kira: Just a second...

**Kira has logged off**

**Kira has logged on**

Kira: My parents won't let me travel overseas.

L: Interesting... You're still a minor. That narrows things down a bit.

Kira: Damn!

Shoko: My companion allowed me to travel!

Ryuuzaki: I live along, so it's alright.

Mello: The rest of us knew each other, and I'm sure L'll let us go. That means...

Matt: We're going to Kira's place!

Kira: ...

Kira: Fine, but tell me your countries first!

L: England.

Mello: England.

Matt: England.

Near: England.

Ryuuzaki: United States

Shoko: United States

Kira: Japan.

L: Kira-kun has to be more specific~

Kira: Fine! It's Kanto!

L: Thank you for your information, I will look into it shortly.

**L has logged off.**

Kira:... By the way, if you live alone Ryuuzaki, then Matt didn't hack here for you?

Ryuuzaki: Correct.

Kira: Then how did you get here?

Ryuuzaki: Hehehe... I'll tell you if you can find me~!

Mello: Mat... I just realized that I never knew your real name!

Matt: Oh really? I remember you telling me yours that night where you drank too much alcohol. That means that I'm in the lead for this competition!

Mello: Oh. My. God.

Kira: Matt, any chance of telling me Mello's name?

Matt: I'll tell you only if you find me.

**Matt has logged off.**

Mello: Matt! You meany!

**Mello has logged off.**

Near: I know all their names...

Ryuuzaki: I know L's name, but that's all.

**Ryuuzaki has logged off.**

**Shoko has logged off.**

**Near has logged off.**

Kira: All I want is some privacy! *sob*

**Kira has logged off.**

* * *

"Watari, start packing. We're heading to Japan."

"What about your case, L?"

"I will finish it in the next five minutes if you pack now." L said.

"May I ask what brought this on?"

L paused, glancing at a map he had brought to the desk, "I'm going there to meet a few people. Be sure to call Roger to let M, M and N on a separate plane."

"Yes."

"And ask Roger something for me," L's wide, unblinking eyes gazed at his flight ticket, "I need to know their real names."

"...Alright, as long as it isn't for something harmful for the children." Watari sighed. Whatever crazy scheme the detective had cooked up now is going to land them in a whole lot of trouble.

L's finger typed on the computer at a furious pace, "And while we're in Japan, please call me Al Lawliet." He was going to use the name Ryuuzaki, but didn't because there was already a Ryuuzaki in the chatroom.

How interesting...

Watari blanched, "L, are you really going to use your real name...?

L shrugged, "I don't know why, but I'm finding this competition very exciting. I am willing to stake everything on it, if only to secure my victory. Now, they expected Al, or L Lawliet - to be a fake name. So they would be looking for any name except for this one. If they found my real name in the file, then they would assume it's an alias and will overlook it."

Watari nodded, "I'll get packing then."

He left the room and L finally came to a halt. He looked at his clock.

Exactly five minutes, the case was closed.

* * *

Light was pacing in his room, nervously looking at the sky every once in a while. He knew they wouldn't be here so quickly, or wouldn't have found him, but it's still unnerving that he was going to be competing against six other very intelligent people. Genius, they may be.

But he had an advantage at least. Ryuuzaki knows L's name. Matt knows Mello's name. Near knows Mello and Matt's names. Nobody knew Light's name, so he was safe for now.

"Light! Dinner!" Sayu called from downstairs.

Light shut his computer off and trudged down. He ate slowly while his eyes continuously strayed towards the clock.

Soon...

* * *

Beyond Birthday shut the stolen computer with a click. He stepped out of the alleyway, and out into the streets of Los Angeles.

Interesting, so L and the other Wammy children are in a competition to learn each of their names?

Well, it was unfortunate that B had focused so much on L that he didn't remember the names of the other children. Or was it that they came in after he was gone...

Ah well, Beyond would know who they are if he can see their faces. But it's knowing which face is theirs is the problem.

B remembered that Mello had blond hair, Matt had red hair, and Near had white hair. White isn't a common color, so N would be out of the game pretty quickly. M and M sticks to each other like glue, and so would be easy to spot as well.

The problems are Shoko and Kira.

He didn't know any of them, despite the fact that he was the one who hacked into Kira's supposedly privet chatroom. At first he just wanted to taunt the man by breaking into the chatroom, but then he saw the conversation, with_ L_ of all people present...

"Kyahaha," he laughed, "It sounds like fun. I'll have to join them in their game."

A few hours later, B snuck into the luggage section of an airplane heading towards Japan, and left quietly and disappeared into the crowd of tourists.

* * *

Naomi Misora had a bad feeling.

Ever since she randomly broke into someone's chatroom and saw L again, she saw Beyond Birthday there too.

Of course, she pretended like she didn't know them. If she showed any recognition, then her cover as Shoko would be blown. The only one who knew Rue Ryuuzaki's real name is L and Naomi Misora after all.

She was going to meet that psycho again, and she's nervous as hell. First, it means that B had somehow escaped from prison and can now kill her if he wants to. Second, she really didn't want to lose this game, so she's going to meet him at some point. Along with the mysterious super detective L who assigned her to catch B in the first place.

Naomi only hoped that Mello, Near, Matt, and Kira are normal people. But judging on their conversation, Kira had the least problems.

She had asked Raye earlier if she could travel to Japan to do some sightseeing, and he readily agreed. He wanted to improve their relationship even further, and wanted to go to some tour sites in Japan. Naomi told him that she was only going to stay in Kanto.

"Why?" he had asked, "There's so many places to go to! Why are you staying in some city that's named after a region in Pokemon?"

She had shrugged and said, "I'm meeting someone."

But that was a bad move, because then Raye yelled that she's cheating on him.

Naomi retorted back that even if she's meeting another male (which she was, because Beyond Birthday is definitely not a girl), then they couldn't be doing anything over such a long distance.

"What are we supposed to do? Phone sex?!"

"So you're admitting you're having a relationship with another man?"

"No!"

"Not a male... You're a lesbian and you didn't tell me?"

"NO!" Naomi shouted again, "You know what Raye, just because you're so dense doesn't mean I am having a relationship with someone else! If you're going to be this unreasonable for much longer, then maybe I WOULD go find another boyfriend!"

She marched upstairs, grabbed her suitcase and bag, and slammed the door.

* * *

"Tell meeeee!"

"No Mello I'm not telling you my real name."

"Come on! You knew mine!"

"I don't really know if it's actually yours. You told me while you're DRUNK!"

Mello huffed, "Humph, am I the only one who doesn't know someone's name?"

"Nope, Kira doesn't know any of us," Near reminded them in boredom.

Mello's eyes glinted, "Near... You know Matt's name. Tell me."

"No."

"WHY NOT?!"

Near peered up at him, "Because it would make me lose my head-start in this competition. I know L would ask Roger for our files soon, so I took the liberty of deleting them."

"You DELETED our files?!" Mello looked at him, aghast, "T-that means we're no longer a part of this orphanage? We're kicked out?"

His eyes began to water.

"..." Matt turned away, until Mello suddenly broke out into a fit of laughter, tears leaking out of the corner of his eyes.

"BWAHAHAHAH!" he laughed, "Good for you, Near! I knew I should have tried this years ago! AHAHAHAHAHA!"

Matt blinked and faced Mello again, "I thought you were going to cry."

Mello wrinkled his nose, "What the hell? Is there something wrong with your brain?"

Near collapsed his domino tower and began packing, "Kicked out or not, we'll be leaving in a few minutes. Roger doesn't know yet, so he still thinks he's paying for us."

"Yes! Free plane tickets!" Mello cheered.

And off they went.

* * *

"L?"

"Yes Watari?"

"Roger said he couldn't find the files."

"..."

* * *

**I have started a new story without finishing the current one. Ah well, the chapters for the other story was completed anyways, so this wouldn't affect anything.**

**So... Review if you like! Which character do you want to win?**


	2. One by one they're here in Japan

**Kira has logged on**

**L has logged on**

**Shoko has logged on**

**Ryuuzaki has logged on**

**Matt has logged on**

**Mello has logged on**

**Near has logged on**

L: I have landed in Japan.

Kira: Thanks for the info, I'll be checking the flight history nw.

L: Ah, but there are many planes headed to Japan, and plenty of passengers in them.

Kira: You sound so confident. Just wait L, I will find you!

Shoko: I am so sleepy... Why the hell did you wake me up so early?

Ryuuzaki: We are supposed to gather on the chat-room every morning to discuss how far we've gotten so far, Shoko-chan.

Matt: I know Mello's identity!

Mello: *glare*. He still didn't tell me his...

Near: I know Matt and Mello's names.

L: Speaking of which... Near, Mello, Matt. Did you just get yourselves kicked out of the orphanage?

Mello: Hah! Take that L!

Near: It was my idea.

Mello: What the hell Near? Why did you have to tell them that!

Kira: Haha, I know one of your names!

L: Liar.

Ryuuzaki: You're bluffing.

Shoko: You expect us to believe that?

Kira: Just you wait! I will find you and say your name to your face!

Mello: Matt, lend me your bugging network.

Matt: Nope, you're on your own.

**Matt has logged off.**

Mello: WHY THAT LITTLE-

**Mello has logged off.**

Kira:...They do know I'm only bluffing, right?

L: We may have seen through it, but who knows what goes on in those two's heads.

Ryuuzaki: Heheh, I know Shoko's name, and L's name, and I'm sure she knew mine.

**Ryuuzaki has logged off.**

Kira: L, even if I don't know what you look like, I know you're having that dawning look of realization on your face.

L:...!

Shoko: Hmm, he seems to have realized who Ryuuzaki is.

Kira: Damn, I'm even more behind!

Near: I have a theory. I also know that Mello knew Ryuuzaki's name but didn't know the man in the chat-room is THAT Ryuuzaki. If only he had stayed...

L:!

Kira: L, stop it.

**L has logged off.**

Shoko: He's probably in shock.

Kira: This is getting more interesting.

Near: Agreed.

**Shoko has logged off.**

**Kira has logged off.**

**Near has logged off.**

* * *

"We're here, Al-san," said Watari as he called a taxi from the airport to the nearest hotel. L still seemed to be in shock as he followed behind, not saying a word.

"Watari, can you give me a picture of Beyond Birthday?" L requested.

Watari shook his head, "When a child is admitted into the orphanage, all previous records of his existence is erased. His birth certificate, his bank account, any belongings and pictures are erased. And when B ran away, he deleted all video records of himself as well along with his profile."

"..So the preparations of Wammy's house is now used against me..." L muttered. Even worse, His successors had destroyed their files as well.

This race is beginning to get even more difficult, but what can one expect with a group of geniuses?

"Watari, arrange a public broadcast. We're calling them out."

* * *

Light met someone strange today.

He was taking a walk in the park (not that any of his fellow competitors are going to be there. What are the odds?), when he bumped into someone.

It was an adult with messy dark hair with dark brown eyes and a plain white shirt. He wore faded jeans and a backpack that was torn in some places The man looked like a stalker, and was creepy as hell.

Light tried to move past him, but the man didn't budge.

"...Your name?" he politely asked the stranger.

"Rue. Yours?"

"Light."

"Really?" Rue hummed, "And I thought it was Moon. Oh well."

Very suspicious. The man would have to read his name from somewhere to mispronounce it. This only solidifies the stalker theory.

"You look... out of place here. Are you foreign?"

Rue nodded, "From America."

Vague, though that did explain the accent. Light tried not to feel uncomfortable as they walked side by side because honestly, he would be very happy to be far, far away.

"What are you doing here then?"

"Is this an interrogation?" Rue countered.

"You jumped to that conclusion so easily. Did you have experience in that field?"

"No." _Not directly anyway, _Rue thought.

"So what are you really doing here?"

"I am looking for someone."

"What a coincidence, I am too."

Light raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Who are you looking for?"

Rue shrugged, "Just some friends I met over the internet. We are having a... race." he looked over at Light.

Light stiffened slightly at the mention of that particular word (and Rue noticed). This couldn't be a coincidence... right?

"What's your last name?"

Rue smirked at him, "Ryuuzaki. I know you're Kira, Yagami Light."

* * *

Beyond Birthday continued to hum as he walked alone back to his apartment.

He had encountered Kira today, and now had taken the lead in the competition because he knew the face and identities of Shoko (Naomi Misora), L (L Lawliet), and Kira (Light Yagami).

As he talked to the familiar-sounding stranger with an even stranger name, he had slowly realized who exactly he was talking to. The tensing at the word 'race' had confirmed it.

Near, Mello and Matt are children, not near Light's age, so he couldn't be any of them. Beyond had personally met Shoko and L, so he knew it wasn't those two. The only person left that could be Kira is Light, and judging how Light had frozen after Beyond had called out his virtual name - confirmed his theory.

Better yet, Light still didn't know 'Rue's real name, though if he met up with L then they would know...

B looked out of the window to see a privet jet landing in the distance. He grinned because he knew that the last three of the race had finally made their move.

* * *

Mello was sulking because Matt refused to help him. Of course, the prize for _winning_ this competition had yet to be decided but they all imagined for it to be something great.

If Mello wins, he want to have mountains upon mountains of chocolate bars stacked neatly in front of him, of L meekly handing over his title over to his greatness (in Mello's fantasies anyways), Near would be utterly defeated at his feet and calling him "Mello-sama"-

"Mello, you're daydreaming," Near said flatly.

Matt snickered.

Mello flushed, "Keep your comments to yourself!"

Near continued to play with his toys while completely ignoring the fuming Mello.

"When we land, we must separate," Near spoke up, "Divide and conquer while keeping our progress to ourselves. We'll keep in contact via chat room."

Mello frowned, "Tell us your name already!"

"No. I fully intend to win."

"Besides, you should try working yourself for once, Mello. It does wonders for your attitude," said Matt

Near closed his eyes to block out the pair's bickering as he waited for the privet jet to land.

This race is all for forming new friends and trying not to lose old ones. One look at Mello and Matt and you'll understand.

* * *

Naomi sat up from a small hotel room she rented for herself.

She had no plans for the race yet. Compare to all the other geniuses(A.K.A maniacs), she was just an ordinary woman caught in something too complicated for her, up against some of the most intelligent people in the world.

Frankly, she had no chance.

"I'll still do my best," Naomi announced, "Even if I lose, at least I tried instead of giving up..."

And she knew who Ryuuzaki is, did that count as a head start?

...

Knowing the others, they are half-way done already.

Naomi sighed, _My self-esteem is taking harsh blows._

* * *

**Even though I already had the winner in my mind, I want to hear who you're rooting for! **

**1st place: Beyond Birthday: Kira, Shoko, L**

**2nd place: Nate River: Mello, Matt**

**2nd place: L Lawliet: Shoko, Ryuuzaki  
**

**3rd place: ****Mail Jeevas: Mello**

**3rd place: Naomi Misora: Ryuuzaki  
**

**4th place: Mihael Keehl: N/A  
**

**4th place: Light Yagami: N/A**


End file.
